Buffy

That big-screen revamp of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” has been dealt a setback — it looks as though the movie’s first-time screenwriter bit off more than she could chew. Two sources close to the project say that the script submitted this past summer by writer Whit Anderson fell far short of expectations and, in the end, was rejected completely. That’s news that will spark celebration from some longtime “Buffy” fans who were less than thrilled by the prospects of a “Buffy” revival that didn’t involve Joss Whedon. Whedon, now directing “The Avengers” for Marvel, himself took a few shots at the reboot project — although he did so with a sly wink. “This is a sad, sad reflection on our times,” Whedon said last November when that deal was announced, “when people must feed off the carcasses of beloved stories from their youths […]

When Joss Whedon brought “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” to TV in 1997, no one had very high expectations for the show. But beyond the cult reputation and the scores of academic books it spawned, it was also a talent discovery engine. “Buffy” and its spinoff, “Angel,” launched the careers of countless actors and writers who are all over the fall TV season — not least of which is Sarah Michelle Gellar, who returns to prime time in “Ringer” after a long absence from television. Meanwhile, David Boreanaz is solving homicides on “Bones,” Alyson Hannigan is bringing on the laughs in “How I Met Your Mother,” Felicia Day is tearing up the Internet with “The Guild,” and “Buffy” mastermind Whedon is directing a new set of superheroes in “The Avengers.” “Buffy” fans and newcomers can catch up on the slayer set […]

The ensemble of A-list actors starring in his upcoming “Avengers” movies makes a better team than the actual Avengers in the Marvel comic book that inspired the film, director Joss Whedon told fans at his Comic-Con International panel Saturday afternoon. “What I find is that these characters mesh through these differences really well,” he told the capacity crowd at the Hilton Bayfront’s Indigo Ballroom. “And what I also find is these actors have a great time playing against each other, and they are, as a troupe, actually a much better team than the Avengers are.” He said working on “Avengers” has been easier than he expected. “In fact, the only problem I’ve had with ‘The Avengers’ is: Where is the 14-year-old girl with superpowers?” he joked. The creator of the wildly popular television series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and its […]

GUEST ESSAY Vampires are everywhere in film, television, novels, comics and beyond and there’s no end in sight. But when did they shift from malevolent predators to conflicted antiheroes? Those are the questions asked by Christopher Farnsworth, a writer living in Los Angeles whose latest novel, “The President’s Vampire,” is on sale now. It used to be you’d never see a vampire as the good guy. After all, a vampire, by its nature, hunts and kills human beings. There are centuries of folklore detailing how mankind has been forced to defend itself against these lethal parasites. That’s not a reputation you lose overnight. But today, vampires have moved into the light – metaphorically speaking, anyway. Edward Cullen and his family of vampire vegetarians – who only drink animal blood – are only the most famous examples. The ranks of on-screen vampire […]

Four years before Mickey Mouse made his debut in “Steamboat Willie” in 1928, Walt Disney wrote a letter to his old friend Ub Iwerks, urging him to come to California and join his studio. Iwerks agreed, and the pair soon set about developing Mickey’s personality and bringing him to life on paper. Now, that 1924 letter is on the block, with a pre-sale estimate of $60,000 to $80,000, at a memorabilia auction next weekend. The auction is being held by Profiles in History, run by appraiser Joe Maddalena of “Hollywood Treasure” fame, on May 14-15 at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, as well as online. Among the items up for bid are signed, original animation cels from Disney movies, including the classics “Cinderella” and “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (around $20,000 each). Also on the block: the fully-operational […]